Our founder Jeremy Barnes representing Down Syndrome Digital

On March 19, our founder Jeremy Barnes attended the United Nations World Down Syndrome Day event at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. This was not just a celebration — it was an official panel discussion hosted by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, marking both World Down Syndrome Day and the 20th anniversary of the Convention. This year's theme, "Together Against Loneliness," deeply reflects the mission we carry at Down Syndrome Digital. But what made this day truly powerful was who was on stage. In a room where UN officials and international experts gathered, young people with Down syndrome sat as equals. Not as guests, not as symbols, but as full-fledged speakers whose voices shaped the entire conversation. The discussion brought together key voices including Miyeon Kim, Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, who opened the session, Jean-Marie Le Méné, President of the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation, Kaloyan Kamenov from the World Health Organization speaking about the WHO's Disability Health Equity Network, Michel Veuthey from the Order of Malta, and Guillaume Duriez, Director of the Jérôme Lejeune Institute. They spoke about support systems, healthcare, and inclusion. But the ones who truly moved the room were the self-advocates. In the first panel, four young people with Down syndrome took the floor: Foucauld de Vivier from France, Mariam Dhiab from Kuwait, Laia Martí Santiago from Spain, and Omer Alshami from the UAE. They did not just share personal stories — they set the tone for the entire discussion. They spoke about the right to be heard, the importance of respecting differences, and what it means to be accepted as full members of the human family. Their honesty was impossible to ignore. For Jeremy and for all of us, moments like this are the ultimate proof that inclusion only works when people with Down syndrome speak for themselves. When their place is not in the audience, but on stage. Not next to experts, but among them. We are proud to see this conversation happening at the highest global level, and we are proud to keep building tools that help families feel connection, support, and belonging every day.